In living by example, we will raise kind, grateful, empathetic kids who are ready to go out and show the world what being grateful means—making the world a better place.
Thanksgiving will be upon us soon, and, for most people, it’s a day of feasting with friends and family. Still, it’s important to remember how this holiday came to be and what it really means. Teaching our children to be thankful is one of the most important lessons we can provide. If you are looking for some ways to teach them gratitude, these ideas should help:
Lessons from the Bible
1. Luke 11:17-19- Children will learn about gratitude when you read them the story about the ten lepers Jesus healed. Out of those ten, only one returned to thank him.
2. Psalm 100- This psalm is about thanksgiving and is a great way to teach your kids an attitude of gratitude.
Lessons from Life
3. Gratitude for family- Sit down with your kids and talk about the true meaning of family and what it means. Encourage them to be thankful for their family members and tell them directly how grateful they are to have them in their lives. Explain to them that some people don't get along with their family members at all, and they should consider themselves blessed to come from a loving family.
4. Gratitude for friends- Remind your kids to be thankful for their friends. Sit down with them and talk with them about each of their friends and what they mean to them. Let them know how grateful you are that they have good friends and tell them to let their friends know they appreciate them.
5. Being thankful for pets- How can we not love the furry creatures in our lives? They give us such unconditional love and enjoyment every day. Not only that, God placed them in our lives because he entrusts us to take good care of them. Remind your kids to be thankful for their furry friends.
6. Being thankful to have a job- If you have older teenagers, teach them to be thankful for their jobs and that they can make their own money. Be a good example of work ethic and responsibility for them. When someone asks them one day where they got their work ethic, they can proudly say they got it from you. Most importantly, teach them to be grateful they have a job, no matter what it is.
7. Being thankful for the right to vote- Once again, if you have older teenagers, teach them to be grateful for the right to vote. Give examples of other countries who don’t have this right so that they can understand what a privilege it is.
8. Thankful for authority figures and mentors- Teach them to be grateful for their mentors and those who are in authority over them. Start a conversation about who the important influencers are in their lives (teachers, coaches, youth leaders, pastors, etc.) and what those people mean to them. Have them write a note to each person, telling them how thankful they are to have them in their lives.
9. Having an attitude of gratitude- Teach them an attitude of gratitude by modeling it yourself. If you have a gratitude journal, show them and encourage them to start their own. If you have breakfast together in the morning, ask them what they are grateful for that day. Maybe they get to see a specific friend at recess that is not in their class. Perhaps their teacher put off a quiz another day, or maybe they get to use their notes on a quiz on a difficult subject. Maybe they get to work with their favorite coworker that day at their job. Then share what you are grateful for during the upcoming day.
10. Thanking God every day- When you wake up in the morning, thank God for waking you up for another day. Teach your kids to do the same. Remind them that tomorrow is not guaranteed and encourage them to embrace each day, both the good and the bad. Remind them to thank God when something goes right in their day and when they have a bad day, and in the bad times, show them how to ask God what he is trying to teach them.
11. Being grateful for the big and little things- My grandmother always said, “It’s the little things in life,” and this is so true. We don’t think about it much, but we should be grateful for the big and little things in life and teach our children to do the same.
There are so many things in our lives that we take for granted. Hot water to take a shower. Food on our tables. Gas in our cars. Money (no matter how much or how little) in our bank accounts. These are the big things.
Then there are the little things like an item that you desperately needed being on sale at the grocery store, the $20 bill you found randomly when you were down to your last dollar, a kind word or compliment from a stranger, etc. These are the little things that we need to teach our children to pay attention to and be grateful for.
12. Being grateful for service members- We have our freedoms because of the men and women who are on the front lines in our military, willing to fight for those freedoms. Teach children to be grateful for members of our military and all they do for us.
13. Being grateful for people in our community- There are so many people in our communities who help make our world better. Be an example and teach your kids how to treat those who work in service jobs like fast food workers, grocery clerks, janitors, etc. Demonstrate respect when interacting with them and acknowledge that the work they do is as important as that of a doctor or a lawyer.
Teach them to be thankful for and respect our police officers and first responders. Let them know they should be grateful for all people in all jobs and that everyone deserves respect. If there weren’t people to do these service jobs, people couldn’t eat, there would be no food on the grocery store shelves, and the places of business we love to frequent would not be clean.
14. Being grateful for setbacks- Our society makes setbacks a very hard thing for kids to swallow. The pressure from society and peers to be perfect is outrageous. No wonder kids can’t handle the smallest setbacks and feel like automatic failures.
Therefore, you need to teach them to be grateful for setbacks. Explain to them that setbacks aren’t always a bad thing. Something may happen in order for them to learn something or even for something fantastic to happen later because the timing isn’t right. Give them examples in your life where a setback led to something greater. Setbacks don't always mean they are doomed. Sometimes they show that better things are coming.
There are all kinds of lessons we can teach our kids about the Thanksgiving holiday and what being grateful means. In living by example, we will raise kind, grateful, empathetic kids who are ready to go out and show the world what being grateful means—making the world a better place.
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